Mata assailant and judge send him to freedom – Portugal

It was at the kitchen window of his parents' house on Paul VI avenue in Marvila, Lisbon, that a 37-year-old local official saw João Cerqueira, a 38-year-old drug addict, assaulting his car in the nearby parking lot to the field of Oriental.

Enraged, he picked up a knife and moments later, Joao Cerqueira was dead. The alleged perpetrator was detained by the PSP, but a judge released him with weekly presentations because he had doubts about the cause of death.

For the crime, which occurred at 2:10 pm on Sunday, there are two versions. The first, that of the defendant, was presented to the judge this Monday.

"My client says he only remembers coming to the assailant and asking him what he was doing. [João Cerqueira, o ladrão] pointed out the screwdriver used to open the car, and the two men were beaten, "said Túlio Araújo, lawyer for the accused.

The municipal official admits to having punched and kicked João Cerqueira, still trying to twist his arm. Officially, the PSP says the assailant was the victim of a killer (a jiu-jitsu maneuver that numbs the victim), and that he would have cut his breath until he was unconscious. The murderer's sister was a witness and they both called for help, via 112.

The death of João Cerqueira, however, would be declared on the spot. But Túlio Araújo questions the cause of death. "From the interrogation, it was concluded that almost certainly the victim did not die of suffocation. Only the autopsy will say, hence the non-application of pre-trial detention," he said.

Ana Paula Ramos, sister of João Cerqueira, assures that the family member was attacked by five or six people, "including women". "He has registered for robberies, yes, but he never hurt anyone, they beat him, strangled him to death, and even one leg left him.

The Judiciary is pursuing the investigation.

DETAILS
Victim leaves orphaned daughter
João Cerqueira leaves seven-year-old daughter an orphan. He served about six years in prison for felony theft and lived temporarily with his father near the place where he was killed.

Suspect in shock
According to Túlio Araújo, lawyer of the suspect, this one was in shock after seeing the death of João Cerqueira. "He's tired of throwing up. I do not know when he'll be back to work," he said.

Author in pocket
At the moment that the death was proven, João Cerqueira had a autorrádio in his pocket.